Culture » June 4, 2015

Why Some Vets Want to Relive Vietnam

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In Country attempts an honest assessment of the various ways people respond to real and recreated combat. For some of them, war isn’t always hell, or at least, other hells are worse—the hell of purposelessness, of loneliness and anomie, of numbing boredom, of aging and loss of strength.

We’re all familiar with Civil War reenactment, that pastime of tens of thousands of Americans. As odd an avocation as that might seem, it makes sense, in that the Civil War looms large in the American imagination: Its horrors are fully intertwined with its glories. The conflict defines our national identity, representing “a new birth of freedom” in the emancipation of the slaves, the preservation of the Union and the salvation of an experimental democracy. Even the South’s maddeningly wrongheaded “War of Northern Aggression” was fought in epic terms of bravery and self-sacrifice.

But who in their right mind would want to reenact the Vietnam War, that vile misadventure in anti-Communism run amok?

In Country, directed by Mike Attie and Meghan O’Hara, investigates the strange subculture of those who do, following a cadre of dedicated Vietnam War reenactors in rural Oregon.

Strange subculture documentaries can effectively overwhelm our dismissive attitudes—take, say, Errol Morris’s mesmerizing film about pet cemeteries, Gates of Heaven (1978). But that standard is a tough one to meet, and, though diverting, In Country doesn’t come close.

The film’s opening scenes depict an urban liberal’s nightmare of the heartland: flags, “God Bless America” signs and tiresome white guy machismo. The elaborate preparations for the annual weekend-long reenactment involve shopping for military gear, food and supplies; setting up base camp; and training “raw recruits” on procedures and the culture of the era: “Drugs. Rock and roll—and I’m talkin’ hard rock and roll…Hippie culture!” The reenactors demonstrate their cultural understanding by wearing oversized peace sign pendants and helmets with “Sock It To Me” inked on them.

This training is intercut with footage of actual basic training for Vietnam War recruits, with equally surreal moments such as “preventive dentistry class” for “the proper care of your teeth in country.”

But generally, the Vietnam War footage serves to demonstrate the obvious contrast between real war and fake war. You compare the soft, slack face of the playacting “soldier” who says, after a hard day’s reenacting, “I’d love to be killin’ some shit, but my feet are killin’ me,” to the gaunt, hollow-eyed visage of the Vietnam soldier nicknamed “Killer,” who laughs dryly about shooting “a coupla gooks” who were “takin’ a bath.”

Surprisingly, some of the enthusiastic reenactors are veterans of actual wars, men who have seen service in Iraq and Vietnam, the very last people you’d expect to have any tolerance for phony combat and clueless playacting. But as Iraq vet and reenactor Charles “Tuna” Ford seems to suggest, some volunteer to go to war for the same reason they reenact it: “It’s such a crazy high, like, the adrenaline. Some people skateboard, some people ride fast bikes, some people shoot heroin. … I go to war.”

Tuna represents the plain fact that plenty of people like war. After the reenactment, he returns for another tour in Afghanistan.

Another vet, Lucien “Doc” Darensburg, who served as a medic in Iraq, is less forthcoming about what motivates his reenacting, other than a basic estrangement from civilians who don’t understand his war experience. He is frank about the PTSD symptoms he now suffers, such as terrifying death dreams and a loss of emotional range: “Everything’s just surface personality. … Deep emotions, I can’t find them.”

When asked about the war, he says, “I have generic answers. Like if someone says, ‘How was it?’ I go, ‘It was hot.’ ”

And then there’s Vinh Nguyen, a grave, middle-aged veteran of the South Vietnamese Army who proudly fought for his country alongside the Americans. When asked about why he’d want to revisit the bad memories, he seems slightly offended: “I don’t know what exactly you said, ‘a bad memory.’ Still now, 36 years [later], I’m still stronger when I am with the South Vietnam Army.”

Nguyen says he fights to recover “what I was in the past.” He connects his struggle with his father’s and grandfather’s, a lineage of idealism and strength.

Of course, the veterans are outnumbered by guys who, as one admits, “always wanted to have these experiences without actually having to join the military.”

At least In Country attempts an honest assessment of the various ways people respond to real and recreated combat. For some of them, war isn’t always hell, or at least, other hells are worse—the hell of purposelessness, of loneliness and anomie, of numbing boredom, of aging and loss of strength. Until the end, that is, when the film retreats from such complexities. It returns us to rural Oregon to watch Tuna coming home from Afghanistan to a parade where children pose with guns, fireworks erupt, flags wave and the crowd chants, “USA! USA!”

As Tuna walks off with his family, his son asks, “Daddy, were you hot in the desert?” and Tuna answers, “Yes, it was really hot, buddy.”

We’re clearly supposed to recall Doc’s answer to civilians who don’t understand the veteran’s experience. But it has the odd effect of collapsing Doc’s PTSD with Tuna’s absolute love of combat, making Tuna seem like just another war-traumatized victim in a knee-jerk pacifist meditation.

In other words, we’re put right back where we started: War is hell, heartland patriotism is alarming, and war reenactors are weird.

All Honourable Discharged Veterans have earned "Bragging Rights" when it comes to real life! I'm not willing to give mine up! When you lay me to rest at Arlington National Cemetery, then maybe?

Many Veterans qualify for what I always considered the Military Hall Of Fame! Nothing any American Citizen does on a daily, weekly, yearly or life time can be done without the deeds of the United States Military Veterans! Pretty powerful stuff, huh? It's true!

You can be offended at my brashness and call me names or attack my injuries and disabilities like Chuck Schmidt, Gary Whelchel and Harold Slemmer from the AIA did. You can tell me I talk too much like Rick Davis from MyFoxPhoenix did. I know what my buddies did, I know what I did for this country. I know how valuable Veterans accomplishments are/were/will be. Especially the "Great Generation!" Got to love them. Label with negative labels are you want, but you can never diminish Veterans importance to the United States!

I was trying to emulate my Father and Uncles who served before me! My heroes have always been American Veterans, past present and future Veterans. They will always have "Bragging Rights!" I never got close, but I can be mentioned in the same sentence.

While Russell Pearce idolizes Hitler and what he stood for, I'd like to remind Russell Pearce and his fellow Arizona Republicans and the people who vote for Russell Pearce's Republicans year after year, America kicked Hitler's ass!

Posted by Michael Archer on 2015-06-13 14:25:52

Arizona is one of the worst states in the United States for treatment of their Veterans.

For example, Jose Guerena, 26, of Tucson was shot 60 times by the Tucson Swat Team who was serving a warrant on Jose for suspected illegal drug activity. That was May 5, 2011 and it's now June 9, 2015 and the late Jose Guerena has still not been connected to any illegal activity. Way to go Arizona Citizens and “do nothing McCain” for saying or doing nothing about this miscarriage of justice in Arizona. Why are the Swat Team Members not doing time in prison? Let's deport them!!!!

Another example, the Phoenix VA Hospital has the worst staff and do the worst job of treating sick Veterans in the history of the United States. Way to stand by your Veterans Arizona and “McCain/Palin!!!!!”

Sean Pearce (Russell's son) should be doing time for killing Military Veteran John Edward Harding. Glendale PD even recommended charges be brought against Russell Pearce's son, Sean, but like he did for Senator Flake's son, Austin, Bill Montgomery refused to do so! Way to go Arizona, they say is silence golden, but this is ridiculous! Are you asleep Mr. McCain?

Of course you have my example of mistreatment when the Arizona Interscholastic Association filed a perjured complaint against me which land Chuck Schmidt, Gary Whelchel and Harold Slemmer, known as “The Three Stooges of High School Sports” in court, with me getting the complaint dismissed, without me having a lawyer. Their complaint? I was a threat to their lives because I am a Vietnam Combat Infantry Survivor!!!!!! Oh yeah, I was 18 years old at the time and it was over 45 years ago. I have my rejection letter from “Old Man McCain” and I'm getting it framed to hang on the wall with all my Medals for Bravery. Nothing confirms you are a Veteran in Arizona until McCain rejects you!

I am no organization! I am an independent Combat Veteran that has tried to speak out for Veterans many times before. The problem with Veterans, they have no Public Relation Companies working on their behalf. So Veterans have to resort to drastic displays to get attention!